Ep. 17 - King Kong with Dede Crimmins
Adam and Nate welcome film critic and horror expert Dede Crimmins to wrestle with King Kong (1933), a precursor to the modern blockbuster with a legacy as unbreakable as chrome steel. We talk about the full-length Simpsons parody “King Homer” from “Treehouse of Horror III” (S4E5), many other references to the movie throughout the series, and whether this special effects-driven love story between ape and woman holds up.
Also in this episode:
Is King Kong a horror movie?
Dede’s Simpsons fandom from early animation festivals to the latest season
The surprising amount of runtime dedicated to dinosaurs in this movie
Why are the Simpsons writers so obsessed with putting a giant ape on Broadway?
Next time, Adam and Nate load up The Mask of Zorro (1998) and “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” (S11E5)!
Every Simpsons Reference to King Kong
By our count, King Kong has been directly referenced in 8 episodes of the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons, including 4 full scene parodies and 1 full plot parody. That makes it the 17th most referenced movie on the show. The first reference appears in “Bart Gets an ‘F’” (S2E1) from 1990, 57 years after the release of the movie.
Scene & Plot Parodies
Bart Gets an ‘F’ (S2E1): Homer and Bart watch “Gorilla the Conquerer,” a parody of the countless King Kong ripoffs, including those directed by the same people.
Treehouse of Horror III (S4E5): The segment “King Homer” offers a scene-by-scene parody of King Kong, including many visual gags referencing the limited animation of Kong’s face.
Since most of the movie is accounted for, we’ve paired up the “King Homer” clips with clips from later episodes that reference King Kong.
Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood (S5E8): Bart and Milhouse play a video game at the arcade called “Panamanian Strongman,” which parodies both the high-rise climax of King Kong and the United States’ invasion of Panama in late 1989 as part of the War on Drugs. Meanwhile, “King Homer” doesn’t get quite so far up the building.
Monty Can’t Buy Me Love (S10E21): When Mr. Burns tries to put the Loch Ness Monster on display, he’s worried that the flashbulbs of reporters will drive the monster mad, just like in King Kong, but in fact, he’s the one who goes on a rampage. (Nessie actually quite likes the attention.) Meanwhile, things play out about how you’d expect in “King Homer.”
HOMR (S12E9): When asked by a financial agent if Homer understands the risks of stock investment, he imagines himself as part of a kick line singing “The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)” from the musical The Gold Diggers of 1933, released the same year as King Kong. Then a curtain opens to reveal King Kong in chains, grasping handfuls of dollar bills and wearing a green top hat. “You heard the monkey, make the trade.”
Meanwhile, “King Homer” features a nearly perfect recreation of the Broadway scene from King Kong. “Wow! Look at the size of that platform!”
Small References
Bart Gets an ‘F’ (S2E1): Later in this episode, Homer watches another King Kong knockoff, where Kong appears to be tap dancing.
Dead Putting Society (S2E6): One of the courses at the mini-golf course is a giant ape, that looks a bit like Kong and a bit like Homer.
Bart the Fink (S7E15): The Springfield bank has a half-baked promotion involving ape costumes and King Kong-inspired advertisements.
Faith Off (S11E11): After a faith healer strangles him, Krusty exclaims, “Hey, I got my comedy ‘K’s’ back. King Kong cold-cocked Kato Kaelin.”
Simpson Safari (S12E17): Dr. Joan Bushwell’s binder labeled “Serious Research” is mostly filled with famous apes of film, including King Kong, the Wicked Witch of the West’s flying monkeys, and the apes from Planet of the Apes (the movie, not the planet).
Bonus: Music Video Reference
Deep, Deep Trouble (March 7, 1991): The music video for “Deep, Deep Trouble,” the second single from the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, features a scene of Homer as Kong on top of the Empire State Building. It first aired immediately following “Bart’s Dog Gets an ‘F’” (S2E16), which also contained the first in-show parody above.
Extra Credit
Looking for more like this or an interesting double feature? Here are our recommendations.
From Adam: Jurassic Park (1993)
From Nate: Prometheus (2012)
From Dede: Godzilla (1954) & Them! (1954)
Further Reading & Viewing
Review: Joe Bigelow, “King Kong,” Variety, March 6, 1933.
Essay: Michael Price, “King Kong” (Essay for the National Film Register), Now See Hear! National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, 1991.
Article: Roger Ebert, “King Kong,” February 3, Chicago Sun-Times, 2002.
Article: Esther Crain, “King Kong’s return to the Empire State Building,” Ephemeral New York, June 3, 2013.
Article: Cassandra Geraghty, “Noble Johnson: A Man Whose Body of Work is More Famous than His Name,” Norman Studios, July 20, 2020.
Article: Caroline Madden, “Jurassic Park's King Kong Reference Isn't The Only Link To The Classic Monster Movie,” Slash Film, December 22, 2021.
Article: “King Kong,” AFI Catalog of Feature Films, accessed October 23, 2023.
Video: Katie Keenan, “King Kong: The Practical Effects Wonder - Documentary,“ YouTube, March 1, 2023.
“Gorilla the Conquerer” floats away in a cage at the end of the ripoff of King Kong in “Bart Gets an ‘F’” (S2E1).
